High Conflict
The New York Times bestselling author of The Smartest Kids in the World, High Conflict, and The Unthinkable is Amanda Ripley. She has written for periodicals such as The Atlantic, Politico, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
That is what "high conflict" accomplishes. It's our generation's unseen hand. It's also distinct from the beneficial friction of good conflict. That is healthy disagreement, and it is an essential energy that drives us to become better people.
High conflict, on the other hand, is what happens when dissension boils down to a good-versus-evil feud, the kind with a us and a them. The customary norms of engagement no longer apply in this state. The brain functions differently. We are increasingly assured of our own superiority while becoming progressively perplexed by the opposite side.
In High Conflict, Amanda Ripley, New York Times bestselling author and award-winning journalist, investigates how good people are ensnared by high conflict—and how they escape.
Our journey begins in California, where a world-renowned conflict expert is attempting to escape a political feud. Then we meet a Chicago gang leader who devotes his life to vengeance, only to find himself working alongside the man who murdered his childhood idol. Next, we fly to Colombia to see if thousands of people can be nudged out of high conflict on a large scale. Finally, we return to the United States to observe what occurs when a group of liberal Manhattan Jews and conservative Michigan correctional officers decide to stay in each other's houses in order to better understand one another.
All of these persons were pulled into high conflict by comparable causes, including conflict entrepreneurs, humiliation, and false binaries, despite their drastically diverse circumstances. But, in the end, they all found ways to turn high conflict into something positive, something that made them better people. They rehumanized and recategorized their opponents, and they reawakened interest and wonder, all while fighting for what they thought was right.
People do flee areas with extreme conflict. Individuals, and even entire communities, can choose to bypass the feedback cycles of outrage and blame. This is an eye-opening new way of thinking about conflict that will change the way we live in the world.
Author: Amanda Ripley
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/High-Conflict-Why-Get-Trapped/dp/1982128569
Ratings: 4.6 out of 5 stars (from 573 reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #19,248 in Books
#74 in Conflict Management
#96 in Family Conflict Resolution
#122 in Business Decision Making
